


I'll be there for you (when the rain starts to pour)

by VanillaMostly



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Just wanted to contribute some Steve and Robin friendship fluff, Male-Female Friendship, S3 spoilers, post-season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 09:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19885447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanillaMostly/pseuds/VanillaMostly
Summary: Steve was dumped by one girl for Jonathan Byers and rejected by the next because it turned out she was gay.But that was okay, because it’s Robin.





	I'll be there for you (when the rain starts to pour)

**Author's Note:**

> Do not own.   
> My favorite dynamic duo :) second only to Steve & Dustin.

Steve was still high as a kite during the whole bathroom stall moment. But he remembered it well. Telling Robin about his crush, sure that she would return his feelings. Maybe some of that old prom king Steve cockiness coming into play. They had this great thing going and they’d been through so much together, like, literally facing death and torture by evil Russians. He could feel it - that in sync vibe they had. He wasn’t even sure he ever felt this connected with Nancy.

But she dropped the ball on him. And it hurt at first, the disappointment. The bitter ironic taste in his mouth that wow, former high school stud once again struck out.

Then… he realized what she was saying. He heard the strain in her voice, the shame, the _fear_ … and Steve just wanted to punch himself.

_Idiot, it’s not about you._

This was about Robin.

He didn’t get to do it then, because they had a tentacle monster from another dimension to worry about, but he wanted to hug Robin, really did, not because she was the girl he had a crush on but because she was Robin. She was bossy and geeky and yes, a huge pain in the ass sometimes but she did not deserve to feel like shit about herself. She did not deserve to feel like she was broken, or weird, or wrong.

Because she wasn’t.

She was Robin and she was perfect the way she was.

He didn’t get to tell her this for a while, mostly because he didn’t know how to bring it up and he was a manly guy, okay, he’d have to be drunk to say such chummy stuff. Robin didn’t say anything anyway and Steve thought maybe she wanted to pretend their bathroom stall moment never happened. But after Starcourt got demolished, and somewhere between the Byers moving away and getting a new job at the video store, his chance finally came.

They were in his car coming from McD’s arguing about something pointless per usual while Robin finished his fries, and he was making a turn when he caught her look in the sideview mirror.

It was a flicker of a look, so brief he would have missed it if he turned his head a second late, so brief he was sure she had that look so many times and he did miss it, but it was there.

It was a look of sadness. Guilt. Worry.

Steve pulled the car to the side of the road. Robin threw up her hands and said, “Whoa, you trying to murder me or something Harrington?”

He ignored her joke and just narrowed his eyes at her. “Robin. Spit it out.”

She gave in under his stare. They were past the point of denying that they couldn’t read each other’s minds half the time. “Look, Steve… This won’t work.”

“What won’t?”

“Us. Being friends.”

Steve quirked an eyebrow. “Enlighten me.”

“It’s just… Like we’re having a lot of fun right now, but sooner or later you’re gonna hate me. I’ve seen it with other guys before. Fine, _guy_. My band partner Brian. Well I didn’t tell him I, you know… ”

“I’m gay.”

“What?” Robin’s eyes turned wide as saucers.

Steve gave an impatient wave. “Not me. I’m just finishing your sentence. You’re gay, Robin - and so what? You should’ve figured out by now I don’t care. I mean, I’m not saying my ego wasn’t bruised a little that I was passed over freaking Tammy Thompson… Her tan is fake, you know that right?”

Robin rolled her eyes.

“I’m not so much a sore loser I’m here still pining for you after you said you like _girls_. I’m here ‘cause I actually like being your friend. There, I’m officially saying it. Robin,” he said, pointing a finger at her, “you’re cool.”

Robin nodded, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

“Robin?”

To his horror - and delight -

“Are you _crying_?”

“Shut up, dingus.”

Okay, definitely delight.

“C’mere.”

She moved over, laughing and rubbing her eyes, resting her chin on Steve’s shoulder as Steve wrapped an arm around her.

“Just promise me one thing,” Steve said.

“Yeah?”

“You’re not allowed to get a girlfriend before me.”

She smirked. “With your pickup lines, Harrington?”

He showed her his middle finger and she threw her head back, cackling. And they went home the rest of the way arguing about who was hotter, Farrah Fawcett or Lynda Carter.

When Steve dropped Robin off, she looked at him before shutting the car door, a soft smile on her face. “Hey Steve, thanks.”

Steve just grinned. “See you tomorrow, Buckley.”

Somehow Steve knew that despite the mess that was his life currently, things were going to be okay.

Tammy Thompson really had no idea what she was missing.


End file.
